48 hours of football: A weekend in Columbia

On a typical fall weekend, the city of Columbia is inundated with all things football. Little league, high school and Tiger football affect life all over the city, on the field and off. This weekend, we find the highlights from Columbia's love for the game of pigskin through stories, photos and videos. Feel free to share your Columbia football experience with us by sending an email to news@ColumbiaMissourian.com.

Note: This page is arranged in reverse chronological order.

2:52 p.m. Sunday at Stadium Bar and Grill The rush for 3 p.m. games has not panned out yet. — Dan Greenwald

2:40 p.m. Sunday at Cosmo Park In the second fifth-grade playoff game of the day, the Columbia Bears faced the Columbia Cowboys. Earlier in the season, the Cowboys defeated the Bears in overtime. But not this time. The Bears won in convincing fashion and celebrated their victory with their fans after the game. The Bears will play in the fifth-grade league championship game next weekend. — Joey Soto Jr.

2:15 p.m. Sunday at Stadium Bar and Grill The restaurant is almost dead — a late early game lull. — Dan Greenwald

1:35 p.m. Sunday at Buffalo Wild Wings Three Broncos fans are sitting at the left side of the bar, cheering between plays of the Bears game. They're watching their favorite Florida graduate Tim Tebow in his first starting game for the Denver Broncos. Two of them attended the University of Florida and the other attended University of Colorado-Boulder. — Kathryn Landis

1:35 p.m. Sunday at Stadium Bar and Grill All is quiet at halftime of many games. — Dan Greenwald

1:29 p.m. Sunday at Cosmo Park The Cowboys have a girl, Taylor Belt, on their team. The head coach, Doug Howes, said, "The only difference is she has hair hanging out of her helmet." — Tom Reaves Capp

1:25 p.m. Sunday at Stadium Bar and Grill Business is dying down a bit near halftime of noon games. — Dan Greenwald

1:03 p.m. Sunday at Buffalo Wild Wings Bears fans have taken over the bar. Six TVs are showing their game, but they're all watching the biggest screen. — Kathryn Landis

1 p.m. Sunday at Cosmo Park The fifth-grade Cowboys run through their banner before their game against the Bears. — Tom Reaves Capp

12:55 p.m. Sunday at Stadium Bar and Grill The restaurant is clearing out a bit, but still crowded. — Dan Greenwald

12:52 p.m. Sunday at Stadium Bar and Grill The owner said it wasn't going to be crowded until the Rams and Chiefs games start. He was wrong! — Dan Greenwald

12:50 p.m. Sunday at Cosmo Park It looks like the whole family comes to watch the youth teams. Fifth-grade game No. 2 starts at 1 p.m. — Tom Reaves Capp

12:42 p.m. Sunday at Cosmo Park Throughout October, various teams in the Columbia Youth Football League have worn pink socks in honor of breast cancer awareness month. Even though no one else on the field was sporting their pink socks this week, Dalton Elder from the Boonville Pirates wore his proudly. His mom, Shara Elder, said she's very proud of the awareness and heart her fifth-grade son exhibits. "I think it's pretty special for him to wear the socks during a month most kids wouldn't know is a cause." Dalton's great-grandmother and great-aunt both fought breast cancer, Shara said. — Joey Soto Jr.

12:30 p.m. Sunday at Cosmo Park It may be an instructional fifth-grade football game, but the parents are definitely into the game. Here is a parent trying to get a better angle from the sideline. — Tom Reaves Capp

12:28 p.m. Sunday at Buffalo Wild Wings We had to find parking over at the not-yet-open Big Lots. The lot was already half full when we pulled in, and I noticed license plates from at least nine states. — Kathryn Landis

12:25 p.m. Sunday at Stadium Bar and Grill A Jets fan and a Broncos fan join a Redskins fan at a table. They are regulars. — Dan Greenwald

12:17 p.m. Sunday at Cosmo Park It's hard to believe Ta'Joh Jennings — at 5 feet, 1 inch tall and weighing 188 pounds — just turned 10 on Oct. 14. Because of his size, Ta'Joh's mom has always had him play with older kids. Ta'Joh is a fourth-grader playing in the fifth-grade league. — Joey Soto Jr.

12:15 p.m. Sunday at Stadium Bar and Grill A fan walks in with a Bears shirt and hat. — Dan Greenwald

11:57 a.m. Sunday at Stadium Bar and Grill Someone asks for the Buffalo game to be put on. ... Buffalo has a bye week. Oops. — Dan Greenwald

11:44 a.m. Sunday at Cosmo Park Columbia Chiefs fifth-grade quarterback Lance Kuhns scrambles 15 yards before diving toward the pylon for the touchdown to put his squad ahead early in the game. Upon further review, this touchdown might have been overturned. Thankfully, there's no reviews in the Columbia Youth Football League, so everyone could enjoy the excitement of the play without worrying about the technicality of whether his knee was down before the ball broke the plane of the end zone. — Joey Soto Jr.

11:40 a.m. Sunday at Stadium Bar and Grill Here, it isn't crowded yet on a football Sunday, as this photo shows. — Dan Greenwald

11:30 a.m. Sunday at Cosmo Park The playoff game between the Boonville pirates and the Columbia Chiefs has started. — Tom Reaves Capp

11:19 a.m. Sunday at Cosmo Park The Chiefs are putting in some last-minute prep before their fifth-grade playoff game at 11:30 a.m. against Boonville. "When I put you guys in the game, be ready to play," assistant coach Dennis Rohr said. — Joey Soto Jr.

10:45 a.m. Sunday at Cosmo Park Youth football in Columbia is under way. Fourth-grade tackle football is at halftime and the fifth-grade teams are warming up for their playoff games. — Tom Reaves Capp

4:17 p.m. Saturday at Shakespeare's How would you pass the time waiting two hours for a pizza? Daniel Baldetti, Kevin Church and Jack Kafoury, high school freshmen from St. Louis, didn't have a football, so they tossed a ball of pizza dough back and forth in the parking lot. — Laura Oberle

3:40 p.m. Saturday at Sparky's Ice Cream on Ninth Street Two more families walk in, the Conners and the Bestes, visiting from St. Louis. They have four daughters between them, all of whom are wearing Tiger ears and Mizzou stickers. It's their first visit to Sparky's.

3:18 p.m. Saturday at Sparky's Ice Cream on Ninth Street A group of Cowboys fans walks in, their bright orange T-shirts standing out like flames amid the black and gold. One of them even has cowboy boots on. They join the line and start looking at the art on the walls. A woman wearing a Mizzou jersey walks past ands pats one of the Oklahoma fans on the arm.

"Good game," she says.

"Thanks," he says, and smiles. — Amrita Jayakumar

3:18 p.m. Saturday at Shakespeare's The sign is up! Fire code capacity has been reached. These customers enjoy a pitcher of beer while waiting. — Laura Oberle

3:03 p.m. Saturday at the corner of Waugh and Locust streets Groups of Missouri fans are walking north on Hitt Street after the game, while an entire wedding party poses for pictures in front of Sacred Heart Catholic Church only one street over. The bridesmaids are lined up on the left in knee-length dark red dresses and the groomsmen are lined up on the right in dark red ties. The bride and groom are standing in between these two group smiling, soaking up their moment together in front of the camera. The bright orange pumpkins and rustic cornstalks on either side of the large dark wood doors of the church add a touch of fall color to this romantic scene. — Jessica Schuster

2:57 p.m. Saturday at Sparky's Ice Cream on Ninth Street Within a couple minutes, a long line has formed inside Sparky's. Families, students and groups of friends, all fresh from the game, are celebrating the good weather and compensating for Missouri's loss with ice cream. — Amrita Jayakumar

2:57 p.m. Saturday with Marching Mizzou Instruments are back in the shed. Now all the members of Marching Mizzou are hanging up their uniforms in the Hearnes Center so they can be washed for next week. — Zach Miller

2:52 p.m. Saturday at Sparky's Ice Cream on Ninth Street A couple of moms with preteen kids make up the first big group to enter Sparky's. After several minutes of discussion, the adults get cones and the kids get cups. There's a scramble to find the best seats around a newly formed kids' table. The moms choose to sit outside. — Amrita Jayakumar

2:50 p.m. Saturday at Sparky's Ice Cream on Ninth Street Missouri fans are starting to spill across downtown, looking for food options. Sparky the dog is a magnet for children, maybe because they notice him sitting on the street before the the adults do. Whenever that happens, the child points to the dog, then to the ice-cream shop. The sea of black and gold stops moving and after Mom and Dad have made a quick decision, the family walks inside. — Amrita Jayakumar

2:46 p.m. Saturday at Hitt Street Mini Mart Three men wearing black suits, black dress shoes and dark red ties stop in to pick up a case of beer and Cheetos. They came from a wedding reception that is in the back of a church about two blocks away from the mini mart. They may have missed the game but they are still able to enjoy some partying on this warm, fall afternoon. — Jessica Schuster

2:45 p.m. Saturday on Stadium Boulevard Half a mile into the march to the car, the crowd starts to thin. Across grassy slopes we stumble, at the edge of the road we single file. Cars whizzing past. Onward we go. Some farther than others.

"Dang. How far away did we park?"

"Far."

"It didn't seem this far before."

Before a 45-24 loss to Oklahoma State, that is.

"Yeah, we're way down there." — Tony Schick

2:32 p.m. Saturday at the game The game is over. Marching Mizzou is now playing the alma mater for the few fans who stuck around. — Zach Miller

2:30 p.m. Saturday in Section 4 at Faurot Field Oklahoma State fans gather at the bottom to sing the alma mater. — Justin Prochaska

2:25 p.m. Saturday at Hitt Street Mini Mart Sam Moss, 18, and Markees Blair, 13, stop in to buy a Monster energy drink. They practice some tricks on their black, slightly tattered skateboards in the parking lot before heading off to enjoy their Saturday. — Jessica Schuster

2:19 p.m. Saturday at Shakespeare's Customers throw down a place setting to secure a table while they stand in line. — Laura Oberle

2:15 p.m. Saturday at Shakespeare's The line is getting long here. Officially out the door! — Laura Oberle

2:11 p.m. Saturday at Shakespeare's Jacob, 9, and his sister Holly, 6, prefer playing with the dough Shakespeare's hands out to kids over watching football. They traveled to Columbia from St. Louis this morning with their father, Chris Travers, and attended the first half of the football game. "It was awesome, but too bad they're losing," Jacob said. They were joined for the day by their aunt, MU sophomore Claire Spradling. — Laura Oberle

2:07 p.m. Saturday at Hitt Street Mini Mart Business is slowly starting to pick up. Groups wearing Missouri gear come in and rush to the back right corner of the store where the beer choices are found. "You have a bathroom?" one customer asks. Manager Atul Kumar Patel simply points to the left corner of the store to direct the customer in the right direction. The restroom is starting to get as much business as the store is. — Jessica Schuster

1:51 p.m. Saturday in Section 4 at Faurot Field More rifles shooting after a fourth-down stop. Some fans are still whispering about the status of Oklahoma State's Justin Blackmon, who hasn't played since the first quarter. — Justin Prochaska

1:45 p.m. Saturday at Hy-Vee There is no such thing as waiting in line at Hy-Vee during a Missouri football home game. — Jason Cox

1:44 p.m. Saturday at Hitt Street Mini Mart The mini mart is very slow. Two older men wearing Mizzou hats and jackets just stopped by for a case of beer and grabbed two pieces of beef jerky as an impulse buy. — Jessica Schuster

1:33 p.m. Saturday in Section 4 at Faurot Field Fans shout HOLDING after Missouri runs for a first down. Other fans grumble about the lack of holding penalties called today. — Justin Prochaska

1:27 p.m. Saturday in Section 4 at Faurot Field A concession seller starts an Oklahoma State chant. — Justin Prochaska

1:26 p.m. Saturday at Lot A outside Faurot Field Tailgating goes on at the same time as the game. The game is in the background on the radio or from stadium noise. Matt Williams said a lot of times it's not even about the game. "It's about good food, drink and bonding over Mizzou." — Reggie Wilson

1:23 p.m. Saturday at Shakespeare's Right now, Shakespeare's will make you cry! Well, that's if you're anywhere near the kitchen door where onions are being sliced. Joe Ellison, who has worked at Shakespeare's for the past five years, finishes the job without tears. "I've cut thousands and thousands of pound of onions," Ellison said. "You get kind of used to it." — Laura Oberle

1:12 p.m. Saturday in Section 4 at Faurot Field A chant of Orange Power breaks out. Two minutes later, the Oklahoma State defense gets an interception and the section erupts. — Justin Prochaska

12:56 p.m. Saturday at Shakespeare's This sign has to be posted on most football Saturdays. During the Homecoming rush of last weekend, it was first posted Friday night about 7 p.m. and then Saturday at 5 p.m. "We don't like to put that up, but there are times where the place is so packed you can't get through," general manager Toby Epstein said. It's now hanging out in the storage room, so we'll see if and when it comes out today. — Laura Oberle

12:53 p.m. Saturday at Hy-Vee No Missouri fans are rushing to get their grocery shopping done during halftime of this close game. Attendance here remains low. — Jason Cox

12:45 p.m. Saturday at the game Baton twirler Cayla Troyer gets ready for the halftime show. She will perform two routines for two Marching Mizzou songs. — Ashley Zavala

12:31 p.m. Saturday at the game Marching Mizzou is back down on the side of the field getting ready for halftime. — Zach Miller

12:12 p.m. at Shakespeare's Manager Jessi Weir announces that the game isn't going well; the Tigers are losing 24-10 early in the second quarter. "Be prepared because they'll probably get here early," Weir said to the staff in the downstairs kitchen. By "they," she means the hungry crowd.

12:11 p.m. Saturday with Tiger tailgate recyclers One of the recycling bins in front of the entrance to the stadium is full again. A man struggles to push his red Solo cup through one of the holes on top of the bin. The other three holes are already blocked by similar cups. "Columbia doesn't recycle that kind of plastic," Jesse Day says from the Tiger Tailgate Recycling tent. "That is why it doesn't fit." He shakes his head. "I'm not going to tell people that though. I'm just happy they are trying." — Katrina Ball

12:03 p.m. Saturday at the game Marching Mizzou just warned by the referees for not stopping their music soon enough between plays. — Zach Miller

12:02 p.m. Saturday at the Columbia Police Station As of noon, not a single person has walked into the police station since I've been here. — Blake Ursch

11:58 a.m. Saturday in Section 4 at Faurot Field Visiting section stands and cheers at the end of quarter with "rifles firing." They remain standing and cheer after announcement of Mizzou Joplin support. — Justin Prochaska

11:33 a.m. Saturday at Hy-Vee There's only a couple of people here wearing Missouri apparel. That's not something you see too often in Columbia on Missouri football game days. — Jason Cox

11:21 a.m. Saturday in Section 4 at Faurot Field Oklahoma State fans are subdued after first down is overturned via replay and then a missed field goal. Some have their arms in the air. — Justin Prochaska

11:08 a.m. Saturday at Hy-Vee When the radio finally switches from Jordan Sparks' "Tattoo" to the Tiger Radio Network just before kickoff, no one in the store seems to notice. They're all enjoying the luxury of shopping at a time when the store is nearly empty. — Jason Cox

11:07 a.m. Saturday in Section 4 at Faurot Field Oklahoma State fans are ready for kickoff in the visitors section. Stillwater is approximately a seven-hour drive from Columbia. A loud cheer rings out as Oklahoma State runs out onto the field. — Justin Prochaska

11:03 a.m. Saturday in Greektown Dads line up to grab a drink from the bar sponsored by Bengals in the basement of Pi Kappa Alpha. Another dads weekend. Greektown is family. — Lindsay Roseman

11:18 a.m. Saturday at the game Marching Mizzou is up in their seats behind the end zone cheering on the Tigers, making a lot noise while Cowboys have the ball. — Zach Miller

11 a.m. Saturday with Tiger tailgate recyclers There is a steady stream of people making their way into the stadium. Most of the Tiger Tailgate volunteers are back at their tent just under the JumboTron. Project leader Jesse Day sends out a few volunteers to check some of the event bins located near the enterances of the stadium. These bins and the ones at the exit of the tunnel fill up the fastest, Day said. — Katrina Ball

10:57 a.m. Saturday at Hitt Street Mini Mart With only a couple of minutes until kickoff, the mini mart is completely empty other than the two employees. The only sounds in the store are the Top 40s hits that are playing on the sound system and the constant buzz of the fountain soda machines. — Jessica Schuster

10:50 a.m. Saturday in Greektown Tiger Ave transforms from another row of Greek houses into a runway to Faurot. But the men of Alpha Epsilon Pi aren't heading over just yet. It's their dads weekend. Fathers and alums spill out of the parking lot, burgers, hot dogs and drinks in hand. For these Tigers, it's not game time just yet. — Lindsay Roseman

10:50 a.m. Saturday at Lot A outside Faurot Field It was a reunion of sorts for three MU alums. Amy Zimmerman, Emily Sanders and Jill Duffy meet every year to tailgate before cheering the Tigers to a hopeful victory. Sanders even came all the way from Little Rock, Ark., just to tailgate. She even brought her children for the experience. — Reggie Wilson

10:48 a.m. Saturday on Walnut Street Just talked to the Mid Missouri Fellowship of Reconciliation by the Post Office on Walnut. They've been protesting war for 28 years every Saturday from 10 until 11 a.m.

"We think it's important to disagree, but we try not to be disagreeable," says Jeff Stack, one of the protesters.

They say on game days they have more foot traffic. They usually get supporters and occasionally detractors, but don't mind the arguments.

Stack has joined in the Occupy CoMo protests recently. He considers money spent on the military "squandered" and thinks it should be saved for "our brothers and sisters." — Blake Ursch

10:43 a.m. Saturday on the Bengals bus I sat next to Brandon Weeden's wife and the Oklahoma State starting center's wife on my last shuttle ride. They were both very friendly and funny. — Adam Spencer

10:36 a.m. Saturday at the stadium Marching Mizzou is at the stadium in the tunnel ready to put on the pregame show. — Zach Miller

10:32 a.m. Saturday at Bengals We are back at Bengals for the last shuttle trip before game time. There will be another ride later for the stragglers. Then, around the middle of the third quarter, the bus will start taking people from the stadium back to Bengals. — Adam Spencer

10:30 a.m. Saturday in Greektown The road to Greektown is paved yellow with tradition. Latecomer students who savored that extra hour of sleep migrate in masses to their respective Greek houses. A new dad in a pale yellow polo carries his curlycue blonde miniature Tiger fan toward the yards filled with brothers and barbecues. "Dad I see it! I see it!" she says. — Lindsay Roseman

10:28 a.m. Saturday at Hitt Street Mini Mart David Hemerich and Garrett Bakke stop off at the mini mart on their way to tailgate. They fill a blue storage-sized Tupperware with two bags of ice from the mini mart. The ice surrounds the beer that they have in the Tupperware, which is acting as a cooler substitute. It's no cooler, but Hemerich says, it "does the job." — Jessica Schuster

10:25 a.m. Saturday at Hy-Vee As game time approaches, the store starts to empty. The customers in black and gold are no longer here. One 10-aisle stretch has more workers stocking shelves (three) than customers (two). — Jason Cox

10:15 a.m. Saturday on the Bengals bus A couple of Oklahoma State fans just got on for this trip. This time, the bus is full and much louder. Standing room only. — Adam Spencer

10:15 a.m. Saturday at the Tiger Team Store The point-and-shoot cameras are out. Moms are taking pictures. Everyone is posing with their Tiger ears, gold and black pompons, and their new shirts. — Ashley Carman

10:14 a.m. Saturday on the Bengals bus The shuttle just pulled back into Bengals. A 12-minute trip to the stadium and back is rare. Traffic was pretty light this time. — Adam Spencer

10:13 a.m. Saturday at the Hitt Street Mini Mart The Hitt Street Mini Mart on the corner of Hitt and Locust streets is slower than usual for a game day, but its neon "Open" sign is still glowing in the window. Manager Sunny Patel says last weekend was very busy. He expects it will be slow today because people spent a lot of money last weekend. There are rushes of customers, some still in pajamas. One young man came in while his friend waited outside with two open containers of beer. — Jessica Schuster

10:06 a.m. Saturday at the Hearnes Center Everyone is lined up to march to the stadium. Fire truck with Truman and the cheerleaders. Baton twirlers. Golden girls. Color guard. And the band. — Zach Miller

10:02 a.m. Saturday at Bengals, en route to stadium The first shuttle ride is taking place. The plain yellow school bus is about three-quarters full. The atmosphere is very subdued. I'm told the ride is rowdier when Missouri plays late afternoon games, allowing fans to tailgate longer. — Adam Spencer

10 a.m. Saturday in the Faurot parking lot Some Oklahoma State fans say the biggest difference between attending a game in Stillwater and Columbia is the layout of the MU campus is more favorable to tailgaiting because there is more development around the stadium in Columbia. — Justin Prochaska

10 a.m. Saturday at the Tiger Team Store "Another One Bites the Dust" plays in the background as fans gather around the Tiger Team store for Mizzou memorabilia. They're already wearing gold and black, but crave more. Many are surprised to find that the outside door to the store is locked. Instead, they are forced to shop at the small metal-barricade-lined square that is set up outside. It doesn't have as many options, but it's enough. — Ashley Carman

9:50 a.m. Saturday at Bengals The music just came on, starting with "Summer Girls," the '90s hit from LFO. "I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz immediately follows. That's not exactly football music if you ask me. — Adam Spencer

9:45 a.m. Saturday near the stadium Truman and six of the Mizzou cheerleaders are making their way to Tiger tailgates in a white golf cart this morning. Listen for the cart's honking horn and fans yelling Truman's name! — Ann Elise Taylor

9:45 a.m. Saturday at Bengals There are about 75 people here this morning. But, the bar appears to be preparing for an even bigger event tonight, when the Cardinals play the Rangers in Game 3 of the World Series. — Adam Spencer

9:45 a.m. Saturday with Tiger tailgate recyclers Tiger Tailgate Recycling volunteer Shea Roll hands out blue bags to tailgaters in the VIP lot. It's her first time volunteering with the group, but within a few minutes she has her speech down. "Would you like a recycling bag?" Roll asks a group of alumni. "It'll hold glass, plastic and aluminum. Then just leave it here when you are done!"

Roll extends her arm hands out a bag and moves on to the next group. She hasn't been turned away once. Most tailgaters in this lot know the drill and some even have their own blue bags from previous weekends. — Katrina Ball

9:40 a.m. Saturday at the Hearnes Center The drumline is playing outside the Hearnes Center and the rest of the band is coming out to walk to the stadium. — Zach Miller

9:35 a.m. Saturday at Bengals I just arrived at Bengals. Biscuits and gravy seem to be the breakfast of choice among Tiger fans. With an ice cold beer in place of milk or orange juice, of course. — Adam Spencer

9:20 a.m. Saturday at Hy-Vee Hy-Vee has a stand set up outside the store, where it's selling Missouri T-shirts, foam fingers and other Missouri apparel. It draws the attention of nearly every customer who walks in the store, but only a few stop to make a purchase. Hy-Vee sets up the stand every time there is a Missouri home football game. The early start time for the game has business down this morning. It’s nothing like Homecoming last week. Angela Egloff has been running the stand since it opened at 6 a.m., when the temperature was in the lower 40s. But she’s not complaining. She continues to smile and greet every customer that enters the store. — Jason Cox

9:17 a.m. Saturday in the Hearnes Center The members of marching Mizzou are in Hearnes Center putting on their uniforms and eating Subway. — Zach Miller

9:05 a.m. Saturday near the stadium Proud parents Steve Lambert and Lori Hoch hug their sons, Luke Lambert (a Missouri linebacker) and Matt and Dan Hoch ( linemen) as the Missouri football team makes its way down the bridge and into the stadium. Steve Lambert says he tries to shake hands or hug every player for the parents who can't be here. — Kaveh Kaghazi

9 a.m. Saturday with Tiger tailgate recyclers Despite the morning chill, tailgaters are out setting up camp in a parking lot just outside the stadium. As the parking lot fills, Tom Laughlin drives a golf cart from group to group handing out blue recycling bags.

"We've been waiting for you!" a group of tailgaters yell. They already have a pile of cans and cups started on the ground next to a black trash bag. — Katrina Ball

9 a.m. Saturday at Shakespeare's Pizza A peaceful Shakespreare's this morning. This place seems pretty reasonable so far, kind of like the calm before the storm. Cara Giessing was the first employee at work this morning, arriving at 8 a.m. As the opening manager she mopped the floors, counted money and assessed orders. The largest order today is 13 pizzas with lots of salads and sodas. Here's a picture of what you see right now when you walk through the door. We'll get a picture up when the crowd comes. — Laura Oberle

9 a.m. Saturday near the stadium Close to 100 fans watch the arrival of the Tigers on the walking bridge over Providence. Cheerleaders form a path in the parking lot as the players make their way into the stadium. — Kaveh Kaghazi

8:50 a.m. Saturday near the stadium Truman the Tiger demonstrates the perfect tailspin on the west side of the stadium just 10 minutes before the Missouri football team arrives by bus from its hotel. — Ben Frederickson

8:50 a.m. Saturday near the stadium Truman dancing, posing for pictures and getting ready for this morning's Tiger Walk. It's cold, but there's been a good turnout. —Ann Elise Taylor

8:45 a.m. Saturday at Hy-Vee A few Missouri fans are here picking up ice and other tailgating essentials, but most of the aisles are empty. — Jason Cox

8:43 a.m. Saturday behind the Hearnes Center Time to eat now. The drum line put their instruments down and are now being fed by the tailgaters they just played for. Alumni of the drum line. — Zach Miller

8:32 a.m. Saturday behind the Hearnes Center The drum line is playing for a group of tailgaters in a donor lot. — Zach Miller

8:27 a.m. Saturday behind the Hearnes Center Now that most of the band is gone, some younger Mizzou fans are out playing football on the practice field. — Zach Miller

8:08 am. Saturday behind the Hearnes Center Morning rehearsal for Marching Mizzou just ended. Most of the band is leaving to go get breakfast and get ready for the day. — Zach Miller

8 a.m. Saturday at Stoney Creek Inn Sleepy eyed and coffee craving, the Missouri football fans trickle from their rooms into the lobby of the Stoney Creek in on Providence. They find their caffeine fix at the breakfast buffet. Talk turns to past games and today's weather. They're all from different places, but they all wear black and gold. — Ben Frederickson

7:31 a.m. Saturday at Faurot Field A black bomb squad truck is parked on the east side of the stadium. “Hazardous Device Unit,” it reads on the side.

“Bomb squad? Really?” a passerby says, craning his neck at it as he and his friends cross in front of it. — Jessica Walsh

7:23 a.m. Saturday behind Hearnes Center Cathy and Paul Pitlyk take their dog, Belle, for a walk around RV land. Belle’s little body is covered in soft, white fur. She’s half shih tzu and half bichon frise. Her tail wags in a friendly way, and she jumps excitedly when her name is called. She’s clearly a morning gal. — Jessica Walsh

7:17 am Saturday on Turner Avenue Marching Mizzou morning rehearsal can be heard all the way from the Turner Avenue parking garage. — Zach Miller

7:10 a.m. Satuday behind the Hearnes Center Members of Marching Mizzou stream across the parking lot to congregate in a corner of RV land, just yards away from the sleeping tailgaters. The drumline is the first to practice. The sharp sounds of the snare drums and the deep bangs of the bass drums ring out, sounding the alarm that game day has unofficially begun. Campers begin to emerge from their RVs. — Jessica Walsh

7:08 a.m. Saturday behind the Hearnes Center Members of Marching Mizzou are running over to morning rehearsal. Many are wearing pajama pants. — Zach Miller

7:03 a.m. Saturday at Hearnes Center The sky lightens into a deep periwinkle. The only celestial bodies now visible to the naked eye are the crescent moon overhead and shining Jupiter and Sirius. The white peaks of tailgate tents look like meringue in front of the Mizzou Arena. A sash of orange and pink encircles the horizon to the east. — Jessica Walsh

6:31 a.m. Saturday behind the Hearnes Center The parking lot is transformed into RV land. Tailgaters camped here overnight in anticipation for the 11 a.m. football game that pits the Mizzou Tigers against the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Taking advantage of the chilly overnight temperatures, a number of the campers have neatly lined up their red and blue coolers on the pavement outside their RVs where they stayed cold through the night. It's still dark. — Jessica Walsh

12:30 a.m. Saturday at Shakespeare's Pizza Charlie Cordeal finishes his 12 hour shift of prep work for Saturday. Pepperonis are the most popular topping and he has filled 20 bins. That's approximately 400 pounds of pepperoni. Enough dough has been made to make about 800 large pizzas. This will get Shakespeare's through the first rush tomorrow. Prep work will resume tomorrow at 8 a.m. and continue until the kitchen closes. — Laura Oberle

12:23 a.m. Saturday at Deja Vu The Band Bunch drummers share a snare drum during a rendition of "Hey, Baby" — Mitch Ryals

10:43 p.m. Friday at The Penguin on East Broadway The Band Bunch getting everyone at The Penguin pumped for Saturday's Mizzou game. — Mitch Ryals

10:03 p.m. Friday on College Avenue toward downtownThe Band Bunch heads to the bars as the snare drummer in the car keeps the beat. — Mitch Ryals

9:40 p.m. Friday at Troy Buchanan High A sense of joy fills the Hickman crowd after the win. Hickman fans can leave the cold of the night behind, and look forward to another round next week. — Jon Staub

9:29 p.m. Friday at Rock Bridge The Bruins lost 35-20 to Blue Springs South on Friday, falling to 1-1 in district play. The Bruins must win their next game to advance. — Ben Frederickson and Kaveh Kaghazi

9 p.m. Friday at a house party on Grindstone Parkway Only at a Band Bunch party can you walk in with a snare drum and have someone say "nice drum" and mean it. (The Band Bunch is the name of the group that bar-hops on the Fridays before home games to play fight song and other football songs.) — Mitch Ryals

8:51 p.m. Friday at Troy Buchanan High A lack of hot chocolate has some fans upset, but a big lead has Hickman fans in high spirits. Temp is 43 degrees in Troy. — Jon Staub

8:38 p.m. Friday at Rock Bridge The student section would poke in the mouth and bang you on the head. They just really wanted to know who the Bruin was. — Cam Phillips

8:36 p.m. Friday at Rock Bridge The little kids are the most interesting — some are absolutely terrified and others just want a hug. The junior high kids pull on the tail and spin you around a bit. It's hard to tell who is messing with you because there is no peripheral vision. — Cam Phillips

8:34 p.m. Friday at Rock Bridge The crowd was crazy; everyone trying to guess who I was. The student section was a little ruthless, but all in all, a great time. Definitely interesting watching the game and everything around it through the mouth of a bear. — Cam Phillips

8:24 p.m. Friday at Rock Bridge High The breaths of the cheer squad members are visible as they yell, “Let’s go Bruins.” — Emily Becker

8:15 p.m. Friday at Rock Bridge A trail of blue smoke wafted up and over the concessions stand and toward the football field and stands, carrying with it the smell of hotdogs, hamburgers and most-of-all bratwurst.

Ben Amiot manned the grill while his wife, Kim, managed everything else, though she had just run home to grab some extra pre-sliced American cheese, as hot food at this football game — Rock Bridge versus Blue Springs South — was selling faster than they’d expected.

“People eat more when it’s cold,” Ben Amiot said, turning over brats with a pair of tongs.

“Because of the cooler weather and the smoke going toward the crowd, people are eating,” he said. “I’m not kidding. It makes all the difference.” — Lainie Mullen

8:10 p.m. Friday at Rock Bridge Inside the concessions stand during half time, it’s hard to hear the band playing for all the yelling of “Hot dog!” “Hamburger!” “Nachos!” Little children run back and forth, delivering hot foods to the women volunteers, parents and teachers who are serving food Friday night.

One little girl in pink, conspicuous among all the green and gold, pauses with a hot dog in hand as she decides whether to run one way around the coolers or the other way around a table full of candy. Her pigtails swing.

“Right here, Babe,” says a volunteer, Lori Lazzarini-Gerling, who works at two public schools and has a kid at Rock Bridge.

The little girl, Mary Elizabeth, chooses to go right and squeezes between the candy table and another woman serving food. She stretches to hand off the hotdog, and a man cheers her on through the window: “Look at that serve! Did you see that?” — Lainie Mullen

8:05 p.m. Friday at Rock Bridge Kim Amiot, wearing a yellow shirt for school spirit and leaning against the back sink of the concessions stand during half time at the Rock Bridge football game, watched the exchange of dollars for burgers.

With four windows open, half a dozen women taking money and three children running back and forth with deliveries from the back kitchen, it seemed best to stand back, pressed against the sink, watching.

“You’re too young to remember ...” Amiot said, but the ordered chaos reminded her of one of John Belushi’s Saturday Night Live sketches.

8 p.m. Friday at Rock Bridge High Brayden Parker plays on both the Rock Bridge football team and in the school band. Check him out during the halftime performance. (Rock Bridge and Blue Springs tied 7-7 at half) — Ben Frederickson and Kaveh Kaghazi

7:45 p.m. Friday at Rock Bridge High The funny guy keeps teasing the pretty girl next to him. She yells "Stop it!" but she means exactly the opposite of what she is saying. The pair keep a safe distance away from each other, but only far enough to see that they are both noticing the gap. One is accidentally nudged by a friend, and the boy and girl brush shoulders. They smile at each other then keep watching the game. They continue to mind their gap, neither seeming too eager to close it, but enjoying the presence of the other person nonetheless. — Melanie Loth

7:30 pm. Friday at Rock Bridge High MU broadcast senior and sports journalism student Cam Phillips is spending the second and fourth quarter as the Rock Bridge Bruin. Watch him get some love from the fans. — Ben Frederickson and Kaveh Kaghazi

7:19 p.m. Friday at Rock Bridge High The first touchdown of the evening for Rock Bridge causes members of the student section to spill out onto the track. One runs with the yellow and green Rock Bridge flag billowing behind him. Two others celebrate by doing push-ups. They later are one-upped by a mom and a security guard showing off their strength by bending to the rough clay red track to do their own sets of push-ups. — Emily Becker

7:10 p.m. Friday at Rock Bridge High Three young high school girls sit on the bleachers. Although the stands are relatively empty, one girl chooses to sit on her friend's lap. They huddle together, glued to their respective phones, hoping for a text or responding to a new one. The game is about to start, where are their friends? Why aren't they here yet? One girl takes a call--someone is here! She stands up to look for her friend at the entrance. The girl waves to an unknown person in the distance, and all three file out of the student section to meet the newcomer. — Melanie Loth

7:05 p.m. Friday at Rock Bridge High Our first "scared child sighting" of the night. Little girl wanted nothing to do with the Bruin. — Cam Phillips

7:01 p.m. Friday Rock Bridge High The Bruins mascot temporarily becomes a cheerleader when squad members Dessie Sprouse and Natalie Hein lift the bear into a standing position on their thighs. The Bruins’s furred head rises above the girls, and he seems content to remain at this newly found perspective. Sprouse coaches him down with, “Hey brown bear, give me your hand.” — Emily Becker

7 p.m. Friday at Rock Bridge High Rock Bridge has just hit the sidelines, fight song blaring. About ready for kick off here. — Cam Phillips

6:55 p.m. Friday at Rock Bridge High The cheer squad and Bruins girls, the school’s dance team, run to the far end of the field to line the sides of the pathway the football team runs through onto the field. — Emily Becker

6:50 p.m. Friday at Rock Bridge High Two young boys stood on the seats of the bleachers before the Rock Bridge football game. Both held Taco Bell tacos as they jumped from bleacher to bleacher. The younger one jumped off the higher seat to the walkway underneath because he is much too small to turn the leap into a step like his older brother. He occasionally forgets the soft shell taco in his hands when he stops to stare at the big kids nearby. A million questions that he will someday know the answer to race through his mind. Then, as if being freed from hypnosis, he remembers his taco and jumps off another bleacher to play with his brother. — Melanie Loth

6:50 p.m. Friday at Rock Bridge High In the distance, the Bruin gets mobbed by a couple fans. Trying to figure out who is the man under the suit. I will be holding down Bruin duties for the 2nd and 4th quarters. Anxious to see how the crowd reacts. — Cam Phillips

6:40 p.m. Friday at Troy Buchanan High Many Hickman fans have begun to arrive in Troy. The cold has prompted jackets and blankets, but it won't stop them from cheering. — Jon Straub

6:31 p.m. Friday at Rock Bridge High The officiating crew for the Rock Bridge football game just took the field. Gary Anspach, one of the officials, agreed to wear a microphone so we can hear what high school football sounds like from his perspective. — Ben Frederickson and Kaveh Kaghazi

6:27 p.m. Friday at Rock Bridge High Bruin players leave the field for the locker room pregame. — Cam Phillips

5:30 p.m Friday at Rock Bridge High Ready to go as the Rock Bridge Bruin tonight. Looking forward to getting out there with the fans. Just pulled up to the High School. — Cam Phillips

5:24 p.m. Friday at Rock Bridge High A Rock Bridge cheer squad member scrutinizes her face in the mirror of the 21st century — the iPhone screen. The index finger of her right hand smudges the streaks of the Pepto-Bismol pink paint under her eyes worn in recognition of breast cancer awareness month. Nearby, another cheerleader has taken it as her duty to make sure the glittery pink bows at the top of her friends’ ponytails are straight. By the end of the second quarter, hair will begin to slip out of their ponytails. In the third quarter, the nail polish will be covered by black gloves. In the fourth quarter, some of the paint will begin to flake off. — Emily Becker

5:15 p.m Friday at Rock Bridge High The referees for Friday night's Rock Bridge football game get ready in room 409. Inside, the five members of the officiating crew are handing out notes for the hour-long pregame discussion that will take place before kickoff. There are no nerves in this room. Just five officials who share a combined 97 years of experience. — Ben Frederickson